Gig Review: Dead Posey Nottingham – October 2025

12 October 2025 rocknews

Dead Posey Gig Review: Gothic Fury Unleashed at Nottingham Rescue Rooms

Dead Posey Gig Review: The air crackled with electric anticipation last night as Dead Posey hit the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. Forget the nine-to-five grind: this was the definitive, defibrillating jolt of pure rock ‘n’ roll energy needed to launch the weekend. The place was packed, a proper mix of black leather, battle jackets, and maybe one eager soul who looked like they were about to have the kind of life-altering, ear-ringing experience they’ll be recounting in detail for weeks. This live music Nottingham Friday night experience reminds you why the city’s music scene is a beast, and the Rescue Rooms remains the jewel in that crown.

Dead Posey Gig Review: The Support – Local Grit, Arena Muscle, and Explosive Covers

Local Heroes: City Flowers Deliver the Unexpected

The evening kicked off with local heroes, City Flowers, who proved they’re more than just a name you might have skimmed past on a local venue’s gig poster. There’s a brilliant, slightly unvarnished grit to their sound: a swaggering slice of home-grown rock ‘n’ roll that felt instantly familiar, the kind of band you feel lucky to catch before they’re too big for this room. They laid down a tight, energetic groove, perfectly warming up the early birds for the incoming thunder, treating us to originals like “Revo” and “Incubate.”

The brilliance of their set came from its duality: seamlessly shifting from their own potent material straight into an unexpected slice of rock history. In a twist of classic live chaos, a technical hitch mid-set forced lead singer Mollie Ralph to ditch her malfunctioning guitar. Liberated from the six-string, she snatched the mic and the Mollie’s performance immediately surged into absolute overdrive. With the whole stage now her domain, she exploded into a dervish of pure, unfettered frontwoman energy, before the band tore through a massive, unexpected cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” It was a mic-drop climax that made everyone wonder if this commanding presence is her true calling.

The Cruel Knives: Hard Rock, Dedicated Fans, and Tom Harris’s Power

Next up, the room shifted gear entirely, signaling the arrival of something heavier. Enter The Cruel Knives, a band forged in the fires of hard rock pedigree, and they brought a sense of pure, unapologetic, stadium-ready fury. They launched their assault with “The Life That We Made,” a track that instantly set the tone. You could have been mistaken for thinking this was their headline show, as their fans were out in force: I noticed plenty of t-shirt-wearing faithful in the bar next door before the doors even opened. This dedication translated directly to the stage: their loyal chorus carried across the venue, providing a full-throated, sing-along backing to every track like the colossal “Hollow People.” Up front, Tom Harris commanded the chaos, his voice raw yet possessing a soaring control that could fill an arena, a true powerhouse driving the band’s massive sound. Guitarist Sid Glover is a monster on the fretboard, delivering skull-rattling tunes that hit you like a freight train, especially on the aggressive pulse of “Itchy Trigger Finger” and the heavy groove of the closer “Crawl.” It’s that glorious, no-nonsense British rock—muscular, sharp, and possessing hooks you could hang a coat rack on.

Dead Posey Gig Review: The Headliner Takes Command

When the headliners took the stage, the tension for Dead Posey hitting the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham became almost unbearable. LA duo Danyell Souza and Tony Nova are less a band and more a summoning.

Danyell Souza’s Mesmerising Stage Command

From the moment she hit the stage, Danyell was mesmerising. A force of nature, prowling the edges, contorting under the strobe lights, and reaching out to caress the front rows. Her eyes, wide and manic yet utterly captivating, commanded the room. There could have been a hundred distractions, but your attention was Danyell’s, and hers alone.

Pro-tip for the committed fan: it is essential you get as close to the stage as possible. Those front few rows get all the attention from Danyell as she frequently makes excursions to the crowd barriers to sing eye-to-eye, holding hands and making the fan part of the show. Be warned though: the price to be ensnared by the songstress is the requirement to sing as she thrusts the mic towards you.

Dead Posey Gig Review: Setlist Highlights – From ‘Zombies’ to ‘Nightmare’

Their sound is a thrillingly dark cocktail: equal parts gothic spirit, punk rebellion, industrial crunch, and a deep, bluesy swagger. They kicked off with the urgent, high-octane thrust of “sorry i’m not dead” and “Zombies”—a ferocious one-two punch of punk defiance. They showcased their deeper aesthetic with the chilling, creeping blues of “Parasite,” before the brilliant storm of their New Order’s “Blue Monday” cover. Dragging the New Wave classic into their own industrial-goth swamp, this track was a masterstroke, proving their command of both heritage and future shock. The seamless transition between their brooding original material and this cold, electronic pulse was an absolute highlight of the night’s varied brilliance.

The heart of the set centered on tracks that are nothing short of a modern rock manifesto. We were hammered by the anti-establishment war cry of “C.U.L.T.” and the darkly atmospheric pulse of “Darkside.” The adrenaline surged as they tore through the high-speed, punk-metal rush of “Russian Roulette” and the blues-drenched swagger of “Holy Roller.” The crowd became a sea of moving bodies, swept up in the magnetic force of Souza’s stage presence.

But the night’s real power lay in the dynamics. They transitioned sharply from the snarling, untouchable swagger of “Can’t Take Me Down” into the quiet, raw vulnerability of “Scar.” This pivot provided the emotional depth the show needed: they give you the confidence to fight and the space to feel the pain, reminding us that power and vulnerability are two sides of the same black vinyl.

The fans, however, are as much a part of a Dead Posey show as the performers themselves. Towards the end of the gig, performing the frantic charge of “She Went Bad,” Dead Posey called for female members of the audience to join her on the crowd barriers to dance. There was no shortage of volunteers eager to be part of the spectacle. One fan, in a spontaneous burst of rock ‘n’ roll freedom, was even coerced into crowd-surfing, pulling more of the crowd into the electric atmosphere. It was a perfect piece of audience interaction, providing memories and stories that will be told for weeks to come. Closing out the main set with the apocalyptic protest roar of “Welcome To The Nightmare,” Dead Posey delivered a final, scorching statement.

Dead Posey Gig Review: The Rock News Verdict

From the infectious local energy of City Flowers, through the commanding, hard-rock might of The Cruel Knives, to the mesmerising, gothic-industrial domination of Dead Posey, this was a legendary triple bill that perfectly encapsulated the thrill of live rock music. The continuity in quality and sheer power across all three acts was staggering. The Dead Posey hit the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and they created a night to remember. If you weren’t there, you absolutely missed out on three class acts performing at their absolute best.